[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Audio Guys Need Help! (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 12/28/2016 6:31:30 PM EDT
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I'm looking to buy a home theater system for a smaller living room, been looking around at WalMart and Amazon but am clueless on what I should get being I don't know a damn thing about this kind of stuff. I'm not looking to getting anything super fancy but don't want to end up with something I am unhappy with either I'd like to keep things around $500ish, I'm mainly wanting a nice deep sounding sub with lots of base.
Not sure if I should just buy a box with everything ready to go or if I should build one myself, buy a receiver the speakers and a sub? |
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I'm looking to buy a home theater system for a smaller living room, been looking around at WalMart and Amazon but am clueless on what I should get being I don't know a damn thing about this kind of stuff. I'm not looking to getting anything super fancy but don't want to end up with something I am unhappy with either I'd like to keep things around $500ish, I'm mainly wanting a nice deep sounding sub with lots of base. Not sure if I should just buy a box with everything ready to go or if I should build one myself, buy a receiver the speakers and a sub? You should, but not for $500. |
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Man, you need to spend 500 dollar just to get a pretty decent receiver. lol. I'm just afraid I'll do that and build something that is too much for what I need. I've listened to a few soundbar/box sets at Best Buy and was somewhat impressed, just want something with more base. I'll only be using it for movies and XBox |
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I'm just afraid I'll do that and build something that is too much for what I need. I've listened to a few soundbar/box sets at Best Buy and was somewhat impressed, just want something with more base. I'll only be using it for movies and XBox That's what I'd do. My parents have a 200 dollar Samsung soundbar and it's great. |
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Man, you need to spend 500 dollar just to get a pretty decent receiver. lol. Yeah, for a mid range set-up, I would look at Denon, Onkyo, or Pioneer Elite for a receiver. I like Klipsch, JBL, and Polk for speakers/subs. I would probably spend at least $500 on the receiver and $500 on your mains, $500 on the sub, and maybe a little less on your center and side/rears. But that's me. |
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I'm just afraid I'll do that and build something that is too much for what I need. I've listened to a few soundbar/box sets at Best Buy and was somewhat impressed, just want something with more base. I'll only be using it for movies and XBox Quoted:
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Man, you need to spend 500 dollar just to get a pretty decent receiver. lol. I'm just afraid I'll do that and build something that is too much for what I need. I've listened to a few soundbar/box sets at Best Buy and was somewhat impressed, just want something with more base. I'll only be using it for movies and XBox Some soundbar setups use a separate sub. IMHO in a small space, I'd just go with a decent soundbar + sub if you need one. |
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Yeah, for a mid range set-up, I would look at Denon, Onkyo, or Pioneer Elite for a receiver. I like Klipsch, JBL, and Polk for speakers/subs. I would probably spend at least $500 on the receiver and $500 on your mains, $500 on the sub, and maybe a little less on your center and side/rears. But that's me. Quoted:
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Man, you need to spend 500 dollar just to get a pretty decent receiver. lol. Yeah, for a mid range set-up, I would look at Denon, Onkyo, or Pioneer Elite for a receiver. I like Klipsch, JBL, and Polk for speakers/subs. I would probably spend at least $500 on the receiver and $500 on your mains, $500 on the sub, and maybe a little less on your center and side/rears. But that's me. Yeah, if you are going to want movie theater quality audio, I'd say 1,500 might be minimum. |
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Yeah, if you are going to want movie theater quality audio, I'd say 1,500 might be minimum. Probably right. Once you get decent gear though, you can just update your receiver as needed to keep up with technology. I was recently looking for a cheap set of speakers for another room and did grab some original series JBL N28s in mint condition for $25 on Craigslist though. They aren't high end speakers, but work great for what I wanted. If you were patient, you may be able to piece together something decent with used stuff on the cheap. I would probably buy the receiver new though. |
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So realistically, without getting too crazy and keeping in mind I don't need anything super fancy, keep in mind this is a smaller living room, what I should I expect to pay and were should I look at? You do realize you asked this question in a place that thinks you need a $5000 zero turn mower to mow a 1/4 acre city lot and a chainsaw you could start a logging business with to trim a few limbs around the yard? I've got a small living room and spent about what you want to spend and it sounds fine. Just shop around a little. |
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You do realize you asked this question in a place that thinks you need a $5000 zero turn mower to mow a 1/4 acre city lot and a chainsaw you could start a logging business with to trim a few limbs around the yard? I've got a small living room and spent about what you want to spend and it sounds fine. Just shop around a little. Have you been talking to my wife? |
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You do realize you asked this question of "Audio Guys" Quoted:
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So realistically, without getting too crazy and keeping in mind I don't need anything super fancy, keep in mind this is a smaller living room, what I should I expect to pay and were should I look at? You do realize you asked this question of "Audio Guys" "Fellow Poor People Who Don't Particularly Care About Good Sound, Stretch My $500 Budget" |
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Honestly, it sounds like you might want to just get a dedicated sound bar and run it directly off your TV until you do some research. If you are going to spend money, do it right the first time and get what you want. This. $500 puts you in the kinda nice soundbar range some of which come with a cheap sub. The $300 bluray and speaker kits sound really bad, the voices sound unnatural. Listen to real demos instead of reading the box. Do you have a best buy nearby? They may have more demos of the system you are looking for. If you want a real system expect to pay 500 for the receiver alone, the truly high end stuff separates a receiver into a separate dedicated amplifier and a pre-amp which is more or less the brains half of a receiver. |
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I'm looking to buy a home theater system for a smaller living room, been looking around at WalMart and Amazon but am clueless on what I should get being I don't know a damn thing about this kind of stuff. I'm not looking to getting anything super fancy but don't want to end up with something I am unhappy with either I'd like to keep things around $500ish, I'm mainly wanting a nice deep sounding sub with lots of base. Not sure if I should just buy a box with everything ready to go or if I should build one myself, buy a receiver the speakers and a sub? OP, do you want TV or music? A soundbar with sub is ok for movies, but not music. |
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Get 4 of these http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107TSI400B/Polk-Audio-TSi400-Black.html
One of these http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107CS10B/Polk-Audio-TSi-CS10-Black.html This http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107PSW108/Polk-Audio-PSW108.html And a receiver Marantz or Onkyo I have that Marantz receiver, those Polk floor speakers, and a bigger Polk sub than what I posted. It's a pretty good setup for the money. A cheaper route that is going to be better than what you find in big box store but still be good quality- Minimum speaker set http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107TL1600/Polk-Audio-Blackstone-TL1600.html Receiver Denon |
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You could go with something like this...
Onkyo package system Personally, if I were looking to do something on a budget, I'd pick up a slightly better receiver and a decent pair of mains. Possibly pick up some crappy surrounds with the notion that they'd be upgraded later, save a bit more and buy a decent sub later on. I doubt you would be happy with the performance of any sub that falls in your current price range. TX-NR 545 edit: when shopping for a sub, take a look at some of the internet direct companies, just make sure they have been in business for a while. I ended up getting a very nice sounding sub a few years ago and it ended up with a burned amp, no replacement parts, out of business. YMMV |
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How big is the room? Mainly for movies or music?
You are going to be hard pressed to get that sound that I believe you describing (meaningful bass that is clean and tight) at your budget and you most certainly won't get it from a HTIB. You might from a Definitive soundbar/sub combo depending on the volume of the room (cu ft) but that's about 2x your current budget. My advice is save a little more cash and increase your budget. There are screaming deals on AVRs, mains and subs--but not at 500 bux. Start with a nice 2.1 or 3.1 system (AVR, LR mains, center channel and a sub.) Then build out from there if you want to get into 5.1/7.1/5.1.2, etc. Amazon still has the SVS SB12 subwoofer for 399. That's a ridiculous price for a very nice subwoofer that will give you the bass you are seeking (or get two and really go nuts!) There are lots of deals on used gear. Audio/videophiles are no different than gun owners. We buy and sell AV gear at a ridiculous pace always chasing something new. You can find some gently used gear for pennies on the dollar on the forum marketplaces. |
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Amazon still has the SVS SB12 subwoofer for 399. That's a ridiculous price for a very nice subwoofer that will give you the bass you are seeking (or get two and really go nuts!) Attached File Currently waiting on delivery of an SVS PB2000. Looks like it won't be until late next week. 
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Get 4 of these http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107TSI400B/Polk-Audio-TSi400-Black.html One of these http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107CS10B/Polk-Audio-TSi-CS10-Black.html This http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107PSW108/Polk-Audio-PSW108.html And a receiver Marantz or Onkyo I have that Marantz receiver, those Polk floor speakers, and a bigger Polk sub than what I posted. It's a pretty good setup for the money. A cheaper route that is going to be better than what you find in big box store but still be good quality- Minimum speaker set http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107TL1600/Polk-Audio-Blackstone-TL1600.html Receiver Denon Approved! But I would go with the bigger sub you got. |
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Parts Express home theater system with AIR tweeters
Yamaha RX-V381 I've got this basic setup in a smaller den, and it works very well, the 10" sub produces plenty of bass for a small room, and I really like the AIR tweeters in the PE bookshelf speakers. Total cost is around $500 with free shipping. |
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For your budget, look at HTIB (home theater in a box). You probably will have to add your own blu-ray and cd players. Get a HTIB with Bluetooth. I happen to like Onkyo. This. FFS, people, some of you should be fucking ashamed of yourselves. He's got a modest budget, not looking for anything great, just something that makes his TV sound better than the fucking built in speakers. And you guys go prattling off about how he should stab his eardrums and kill himself if he doesn't spend thousands on an ala carte component system. Jesus. He can get his feet wet, then decide if he wants to go full retard. |
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Used gear.
If you don't know what you want, then you will probably be happy with most options. Start with 2 good speakers and a surround receiver. The sub, you can add later, but if you start with a good set of used speakers, with at least 12" subs, you won't need an add on sub. A good 2 speaker set up will sound better than a cheap crappy 5.1 or 7.1 system. Just about any receiver made in the last 20 years will be adequate for a starter system. My most recent pickups were 12" Cerwin Vega's (used $50), and a mid 90's Onkyo Receiver (free). Perfectly adequate to make you 100% happy. New, your $500 budget is a waste of time. |
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If you have minimal knowledge of audio gear but have a friend who knows it then used gear will get you the most for your budget. Otherwise, a sound bar plus sub is probably the best option for a small room and ease of use/setup.
I'm a big fan of Klipsch and found this on Amazon just now. Klipsch System |
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https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/59505/hes-right-115793.JPG Currently waiting on delivery of an SVS PB2000. Looks like it won't be until late next week. You guys are killing me. Now after looking, I feel like I need the pair of pb-16's. Hoping to rebuild my theater room. |
| Used receiver from eBay. Behringer amp to drive the sub. Pair of Econowaves for the mains (http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/zilchs-ak-design-collaborative-econowave-speaker.150939/). And a picowrecker (http://www.avsforum.com/forum/155-diy-speakers-subs/1654961-lilmike-s-picowrecker.html) |
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start witha good 2.0 setup, then add sub, center surrounds
honestly once i got to 3.1 i was happy, havent bothered adding rear or sides yet for a decent cheap sub, its going to be @ 200 min (poll psw505 or similar) from your description of the base you want, i suggest something more. avsforums has tons of info for research |
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https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/59505/hes-right-115793.JPG Currently waiting on delivery of an SVS PB2000. Looks like it won't be until late next week. I came close to going with 2 PB2000s but upped my budget a little and went with 2 HSU VTF-15H MK2s. I listen to a lot of 2CH so I wanted to be able to move between ported and sealed--sealed for better blending in 2CH and open ports for movies. SVS makes fine speakers and subs though. And their in-home demo policy is bar none. |
@jb31 If you thought I was killing you before, don't read below this line. 
Click To View Spoiler @quick2k3 I pondered the Hsu VTF3 Mk5, the metal grill on the SVS won the wife approval factor and I liked the SVS customer service policies considering I had a 2 yr old sub go tits up and so was the company that sold them to me. Dual VTF-15s must sound amazing! |
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@jb31 If you thought I was killing you before, don't read below this line.
Click To View Spoiler @quick2k3 I pondered the Hsu VTF3 Mk5, the metal grill on the SVS won the wife approval factor and I liked the SVS customer service policies considering I had a 2 yr old sub go tits up and so was the company that sold them to me. Dual VTF-15s must sound amazing! LOL yeah the HSUs definitely don't check any boxes in the wife approval department. They are the size of a small VW. 
They are in a dedicated theater space (basement) so luckily I didn't have to contend with aesthetics aka the wife factor. But what they lack in beauty, they more than make up for in sound. |
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Used receiver from eBay. Behringer amp to drive the sub. Pair of Econowaves for the mains (http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/zilchs-ak-design-collaborative-econowave-speaker.150939/). And a picowrecker (http://www.avsforum.com/forum/155-diy-speakers-subs/1654961-lilmike-s-picowrecker.html) Those are actually really cool. I think I'll try the pico. Little bit of space, but the specs look good and the price is fair for a test. I'll start looking for parts. |
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@jb31 If you thought I was killing you before, don't read below this line.
Click To View Spoiler @quick2k3 I pondered the Hsu VTF3 Mk5, the metal grill on the SVS won the wife approval factor and I liked the SVS customer service policies considering I had a 2 yr old sub go tits up and so was the company that sold them to me. Dual VTF-15s must sound amazing! That's not bad. Might grab one for my xmas present. Also think I'll build a pico for fun. Audio stuff is as bad as guns... |
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Those are actually really cool. I think I'll try the pico. Little bit of space, but the specs look good and the price is fair for a test. I'll start looking for parts. Behringer iNukes were on sale yesterday or the day before yesterday on Amazon. It was one of the daily deals, I think. |
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I'm looking to buy a home theater system for a smaller living room, been looking around at WalMart and Amazon but am clueless on what I should get being I don't know a damn thing about this kind of stuff. I'm not looking to getting anything super fancy but don't want to end up with something I am unhappy with either I'd like to keep things around $500ish, I'm mainly wanting a nice deep sounding sub with lots of base. Not sure if I should just buy a box with everything ready to go or if I should build one myself, buy a receiver the speakers and a sub? how big is the room? are you going INTO the walls or ON the walls? do you have enough room for a standalone subwoofer? what type of content are you watching? action movies? games? what is the source of your content? blu-ray? FIOS? etc etc etc do not buy anything until you read the ARFCOM of home theater for about 24 hours... http://www.avsforum.com/forum/88-audio/ ps, i'm really not trying to blow your budget but Audyssey MultEQ is a REALLY REALLY REALLY powerful feature. http://www.audyssey.com/technologies/multeq http://batpigworld.com/audyssey.html https://audyssey.zendesk.com/forums ar-jedi 
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I'm looking to buy a home theater system for a smaller living room, been looking around at WalMart and Amazon but am clueless on what I should get being I don't know a damn thing about this kind of stuff. I'm not looking to getting anything super fancy but don't want to end up with something I am unhappy with either I'd like to keep things around $500ish, I'm mainly wanting a nice deep sounding sub with lots of base. Not sure if I should just buy a box with everything ready to go or if I should build one myself, buy a receiver the speakers and a sub? Been scanning audio ads after this and I think I'd grab used speakers. Either 2 channel or 4 and add whatever receiver you can afford. I think you can get something you will be happy with for close to your budget, the add/uparade as you want. Hell, I've bought a sub, a center, and a set of floor speakers due to this thread and good deals. |
| I went with a Sony sound bar with a sub. Couldn't be happier since it was under $300, I didn't have to hang speakers everywhere and run wires all over the place. I sometimes look behind me thinking something or someone is there then I realize it's the sound bar. Yes, it works great. |
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how big is the room? are you going INTO the walls or ON the walls? do you have enough room for a standalone subwoofer? what type of content are you watching? action movies? games? what is the source of your content? blu-ray? FIOS? etc etc etc do not buy anything until you read the ARFCOM of home theater for about 24 hours... http://www.avsforum.com/forum/88-audio/ ps, i'm really not trying to blow your budget but Audyssey MultEQ is a REALLY REALLY REALLY powerful feature. http://www.audyssey.com/technologies/multeq http://batpigworld.com/audyssey.html https://audyssey.zendesk.com/forums ar-jedi http://wopr.losdos.dyndns.org/gallery2/d/33466-1/DSCN7400.JPG http://wopr.losdos.dyndns.org/gallery2/d/33856-1/DSCN7495.JPG http://ziva.losdos.dyndns.org/gallery2/d/34263-1/DSCN7609.JPG http://wopr.losdos.dyndns.org/gallery2/d/34410-1/DSCN7665.JPG http://wopr.losdos.dyndns.org/gallery2/d/34907-1/DSCN7807.JPG http://wopr.losdos.dyndns.org/gallery2/d/35236-1/DSCN7893.JPG http://wopr.losdos.dyndns.org/gallery2/d/37279-1/DSCN8332.JPG http://wopr.losdos.dyndns.org/gallery2/d/37248-1/DSCN8317.JPG +1 for Audyssey. I can't wait until the app is released for Audyssey Multi EQ XT32. Being able to edit EQ curves for each channel is very appealing. Not to mention being able to save multiple Audyssey room corrections. |
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Man, you need to spend 500 dollar just to get a pretty decent receiver. lol. Not if he is willing to buy used. Lots of good 5.1 receivers on Craigslist. With 7.1 and 4K on the market, the older receivers got really cheap. Pick a good brand with hdmi and 5.1, spend the rest on a pair of decent speakers. Good stereo beats bad surround any day. Buy decent surround speakers later, or realize good stereo is good enough. Lots of subs that come with sound bars suck so bad that even 6.5" or 8" towers can do just st as well if not better. |